The Devonshire Manuscript/lengre to muse

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The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 80r

f. [80r]

1    lengre to muse
2    on{_o}n this refuse
3    I will not vse
4    but studye to forget
5    letting all goo
6    sins well I kno
7    to be my foo
8    her herte is fermelye sett

9    sins my intent
10    so trulye mente
11    Cannot con{_o}tente
12    her minde as I doo see
13    to tell you playne
14    yt ware yn vayne
15    for so small gaine
16    to lose my libretie

17    for if he thryve
18    that will goo stryve
19    a shipp to dryve
20    againste the streme and winde
21    vndoutedlye
22    then thryve shuld I
23    to love trulye
24    a cruell hertid mynde /

25    But sithe that{{th}+t+} so
26    the wo^rlde dothe goo
27    that everye woo
28    bye yelding dothe incresse
29    as I have tolde
30    I wille bolde
31    therebye my paynis to cese

32    prayeng you all
33    that after{t'} shall
34    bye fortune fall
35    ynto this folishe trade
36    have yn yo^r minde
37    as I do finde
38    that oft be kinde
39    all women{_e}s love do fade

40    Wherefore a paist pace
41    Come take my place
42    some man{_a} that hase
43    a lust to berne the fete
44    for sins that she
45    refusithe me
46    I must agre
47    & studye to forgett

fs

Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by H8. The speaker reasons that it would be folly to continue loving a lady who spurns him.

The structure and rhyme scheme of the lyric suggests that a line might be missing between lines 30 and 31.